Harper, Judge Earn Starts
Phase 2 of MLB’s 2024 All-Star Game voting began on Sunday. After the open voting of Phase 1, the options have been reduced to two finalists at each position as well as five outfielders. The top two vote-getters from the first phase, Aaron Judge and Bryce Harper, have already been penciled into the starting lineup.
One intriguing battle in the American League is at the shortstop position, where Kansas City Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. squares off with Gunnar Henderson of the Baltimore Orioles. While Henderson outpaced Witt Jr. by more than 500,000 votes in Phase 1, Witt will look to keep it closer now that voting is strictly head-to-head. In the National League, Philadelphia Phillies‘ Kyle Schwarber is in tough spot, taking on Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani for the DH role.
San Diego Padres‘ Fernando Tatis Jr. qualified as one of five outfield finalists, leaving open the possibility for him to join both Harper and the Dodgers’ Mookie Betts as players to start an All-Star Game in both the infield and the outfield. Tatis started for the NL at shortstop in 2021.
While fans were able to vote five times per day in Phase 1, they are restricted to only a single ballot per day in Phase 2. Voting remains open until noon EST on Wednesday, July 3. The All-Star starting lineups will be announced on ESPN later that night.
